Topic: Greetings from New ZealandPosted By: Eoah
Subject: Greetings from New Zealand
Date Posted: 21 January 2013 at 1:28am

Let me tell you about what motivated me to join this forum.

On Sunday, my sister came around to my place and asked if I wanted to go to a summer camp in Kaiapoi, 25 K's from Christchurch. After I had agreed and was in her car on the way out there, she said "I just thought I'd let you know, so you won't be intimidated, is that the Summer camp is a Christian summer camp." I said, "Uh...uh...O.k...I guess."

You see, 75% of my family are Evangelist Christians, and I am a non-evangelist Christian who had vowed to never step foot into another evangelist church to be around others who worship and pray to "Jesus". But, for my loving and supportive sister, I was prepared to make an exemption to this vow. I have been on the sickness benefit for a while now because of my clinical depression and my sister, who is a nurse and a mother of 2 has been very good to me. God bless her!

And it was a beautiful summers day with people swimming and going for horse rides. And dinner and coffees outside the tent talking to Helens' friends.

And then they had the evening service. And I ducked out of the Pavillion tent during the main sermon...and returned when I thought it was all about to end...but then they were praying in the Holy Spirit...so it took a little longer. And when it did finally finish, I checked out this table at the back with pamphlets and books.

I got talking to this woman to do with "Barnabasaid" which is an aid agency for the persecuted Christians in non Christian countries. They had 2 books published: "What is Islam?" & "Islam and Truth". She was saying that when it comes to Islam, inadequate and distorted knowledge from the mass media or from Islamic interests can be seriously misleading and that you need to have a thorough understanding on what Islam is really all about.

Now, I know what Christians are like so I was feeling a bit skeptical about her organizations' so called "authority" on Islam. I told her the the majority of Christians can't tell the difference between the terrorist agenda and the Muslim agenda. And she agreed with me that this was true.

However, when I was back at home the next morning reading their pamphlet: "A Christian Response to Islam", I found out that she wasn't entirely honest with me, but that was no big surprize. I was actually feeling a bit cranky with myself for not saying anything to anyone at the Christian camp about my strong aversion to "Jesus Idolatry" (oh well...next time...).

...I want to discuss this Christian aid agency in more detail on a separate thread, because there is alot of interesting stuff to discuss, but let me finish this story first...

So, I read "A Christian Response to Islam" and ended up sending Barnabasaid an email letting them know that while many things spoken may be true, there are also things that are very misleading and don't be a hypercrite:

In the pamphlet it was laying out certain facts about Islam like that Muslims founded the first hospital & that Napoleon Bonaparte converted to Islam. But, it also said that that Islam means "peace". Isn't it interesting that lies and deceptions are hidden away in the truth. In my email I said that while "Islam" comes from the root word that means peace, Islam can only be defined as: "To submit to God Almighty and follow his law". And I told them that to omit this is the most deceitful thing in the whole pamphet because this definition of Islam is the one thing that can create unity between Christians and Muslims and encourage them to work together to help create a better world. Why? Put it this way, my personal definition of Christianity is: "To submit to God Almighty and follow his law".

And that's the point that I wanted to make in this long winded introduction.

So what's my agenda on this forum?:

To learn more about Islam

To encourage Muslims in their faith, especially the new ones

To promote ethnic and religious tolerance in the world

To promote an Islamic cultural revolution based on ethnic and religious tolerance

To encourage Muslim women to have more important leadership roles within the Islamic world

Islam can only be defined as: "To submit to God Almighty and follow his
law". And I told them that to omit this is the most deceitful thing in
the whole pamphet because this definition of Islam is the one thing that
can create unity between Christians and Muslims and encourage them to
work together to help create a better world. Why? Put it this way, my
personal definition of Christianity is: "To submit to God Almighty and
follow his law".

So well said, and thank you for your kind words on my introduction.

Posted By: Rational
Date Posted: 24 January 2013 at 5:38am

assalamo alaik Eoah,

Thanks for sharing that. I admire your courage in telling other Christians where you stand. It's good to know there are Christians that don't worship Jesus (pbuh).

-------------الله

Posted By: Eoah
Date Posted: 24 January 2013 at 10:32pm

Thankyou Rational. You are very kind.

I am hoping there are more Christians (and non Christians) that are similar to myself who can work together with Muslims, to create a positive productive mutual understanding, encouragement and support for a better world - through the grace of our God.